donderdag 31 mei 2012

Today my guide book sent me to Via Brisa. The reason of this
visit was the fact that Via Brisa is one of the few places in the city where
you can find some remains of the Ancient Milan. I found what used to be an
imperial palace of the 4th Century, took some pictures and was already ready to
go when I spotted something interesting a little bit further: a nice little
restaurant, a wine shop and a bookshop! This bookshop wasn’t just any bookshop.
It was the Libreria Militare (the Military Bookshop). I imagined a shop full
with war novels and a public of weapon loving soldiers, but I couldn’t have
been more wrong! This shop is not so much loved by people from the military as
it is by ancient Romans and medieval fellows! That’s to say by lovers of experimental
archeology who are superpassionate about creating a revival of the past and
need some manuals to do this in a scientifically responsible way! These guys
need books about ancient clothes, ancient houses, ancient weapons and so much
more and the Libreria Militare is having it for them! But Angelo and Federico –
the very sympathic storekeepers of this highly original bookstore – have also
thought about the women of their special customers! Imagine indeed that you
have married a guy who is spending all his time on becoming the exact copy of an
ancient Roman or some medieval character! Unions like this aren’t very likely
to last if the lady of the house isn’t willing to jump in the historical
adventure herself and participate in the whole archeologic enterprise! And how
could you help these lovely ladies better than with a whole collection of
historical cooking books! The Libreria Militare provides a whole bunch of them
and many wife or girlfriend of some experimental archeologist found here the
information required to prepare some delicious historically correct meal for
their sweethearts! Federico visited some of the historical events his clients
organize and tasted the roman dishes of their enthusiast egas. Result: he
became even more motivated to find his customers the right material! The
Libreria Militare of Via Morigi... Highly recommended I tell you! Whether you
are a soldier, an archeologist or a cook!

One day Federico walked into this store as a client. He like it
so much that he simply decided to stay!

Manuals for experimental archeologists! Federico explained me that these people
are extremely serious and take care of every detail. They don't only want to have clothes who look
exactly like the originals but which are also made in exactly the same way. So these archeologists
even study weaving techniques and which products were used to paint the clothing!

But my favorite part of the bookshop is this one! A whole collection of books on food
and cooking in ancient times! Wonderful!!!

woensdag 30 mei 2012

Every artist at the first floor of the Fornace has his or her very own style.
It's really incredible how many completely different styles we discoverd...

We almost had walked out of the
Fornace when I happened to see the title of the next little paragraph in my
guide book: “To fall hopelessly in love with the inhabitants of the first floor
of the Fornace”. Aha! So this Fornace still had another hidden treasure! And
this treasure appeared to be a floor full with tiny, little studios where all
kinds of artists lived together as one big bohemian family. Okay, “living
together” is maybe a little bit exaggerated, because not all of them actually
lived in their studio, but the cosy and warm atmosphere of the upper floors of
the Fornace was still quite undescribable. Just like its colourful inhabitants!
Come and have a look!

Another studio with a completely different style...

We even found an African artist living in the Fornace!

Need a hand?
This guy can make you one!

But it's not all about ceramics in the Fornace!
We discovered that you can also take tango classes here!

vrijdag 25 mei 2012

Yesterday we made a safe
from-shop-to-culture-transition so today we can dedicate ourselves without
worries to a 100% non-shopping activity! Of course, I want to find something
which Hélène will like and thinking of her unlimited creativity (she doesn’t
only make the most beautiful cupcakes but also spectacular paintings and 10
years ago even very original clothes!), my eye falls on an interesting title in
my Milano guide book: “go and order yourself a personalized garden-gnome at the
Fornace Curti!”. That sounds creative AND original so 5 minutes later, Hélène,
Alessandro and myself are sitting on a tram in direction to the Navigli. After
a walk in a somewhat bleak neighbourhood (but maybe it was just the pouring
rain which made it look that way) we arrive at the entrance of the Fornace
Curti, Milan’s most famous clay oven. This center of ceramics art isn’t just
some center of ceramics art. The Fornace exists already since the 15th Century
and is responsable for the magnificent clay decorations on some of Milan’s
oldest and most famous buildings like Ca’Grande (one of the cities 4
universities) and Ospedale Maggiore! But the nicest thing is that these famous
ceramics artists also try to stimulate the people who come and visit them to
start turning clay into art themselves! The Fornace indeed isn’t only a place where
you can buy finished products (like big statues of Saint Anthony for only 500
euro or argile flowerpots to decorate your garden) but also big packs of clay
and hundreds of little tools to transform this clay into something fantastic.
It’s even possible to subscribe to some ceramics classes in the Fornace itself
in order to make sure that in 500 years from now, something made by your hands can still be found in Milan. Hélène
tries a couple of the numerous wooden tools and starts fabricating in thought
the most marvellous little sculptures. Then suddenly a wrinkle appears on her
forehead (she wonders how on earth she is ever going to transport kilos of clay
from the Fornace to Heidelberg) but shortly after her face turns into a sunray
again! She has found the solution! She buys a couple of little spatula and
announces that she will use them to sculpture at home not with clay or argile
but with... homemade cupcakedough! Do I have the most creative friend in the
world or what?

A cute entrance of a mythical place!

The oven of the Fornace!
Big enough to bake at least 5000 cupcake sculptures at once!

I was still looking for a bigger pot for my tomatoplant.
Maybe I could take one of these?

Hundreds of tools to make the most beautiful creations!
In argile or cupcake dough...

Still looking for a Saint Anthony?
Only 500 euro!

Colourful legs on a grey day!

An army of Michelin guys!

Oh yes, I almost forgot! The Fornace even offered
us a little extra! A couple of minutes before leaving again, we saw one of the
ceramics artists closing up and stepping right into a shower. Which wouldn’t
have been that special if the guy wouldn’t have started to give the most
beautiful concert! Please enjoy...

donderdag 24 mei 2012

Looking for a nice present for your little grandson's birthday or for your secretary on secretary day?
What about this nice Couture Whip? Only 250 euro and oooooooh sooooooooo fashionable!!!!

Okay. On day 1 we have been shopping. On
day 2 we have been shopping. Now, on day 3 we really aren’t going to shop! But
then again... Switching abruptly from intens shopping to a completely different
type of activity (like visiting a museum for instance) might a bit
dangerous... I mean, after a long and intense sport activity you wouldn’t go
straight lying down on your sofa without having some stretching exercises
either, would you? So I guess we need to find a safe way to make the switch. We
need a good, intermediate solution. A place where it’s still possible to shop a
little bit but where you can also do something else. So where could you better
go in this specific situation than to 10 Corso Como! This place is just
everything what any kind of person in this world could wish for. You are
looking for a nice and green oasis of peace to have a delicious, foamy
cappuccino and a long chat with a friend you haven’t seen in months (except for
two shopping days)? That’s possible! Or do you prefer visiting a thought
provoking and inspiring exhibition of the best World Press Photos of 2012? That’s
possible too (untill June the 3rd at least, because then there will be a new
exhibition at 10 Corso Como)! Or do you feel more like spending an hour
listening to jazz music while you wander around in one of the most beautiful
design bookshops of Milan? Even then, you’re still at the right place. 10 Corso
Como has even been so considering to create a little corner with shoes to
protect their shoe-shop-loving customers from rehab issues (Hélène discovered that
they are selling one of the most expensive shoe brands in the world: Louboutin).
But visitors get also spoiled with other nice offers. Let’s say you would be
looking for a stylish whip to castigate yourself or somebody else for instance.
10 Corso Como has the object of your dreams! We also found some erotic
substance for only 280 euro a bottle (little bottle that is) but we didn’t
quite understand how and where this magic gel or creme should be applied and
how it is supposed to work. For 280 euro we would expect something rather
spectacular! Shy Flemish girls like me and Hélène of course don’t dare to ask
whether they can try some, so the mysterie remains unsolved. I was thinking of organizing a
contest with one of those little bottles as the main prize for the one of you
who is able to give us the most original or exact explanation, but unfortunately
my last penny went to 10 cappuccini and a plate of 10 Corso Como cookies, for
which I’m now officially broke! Anyone willing to give the guessing a shot for
free... be my guest!

10 Corso Como. From the outside nothing special. But once you're in...

If you go straight on and take the stair, you will end up at the exhibition. But
we need some intermediate shopping first! So we go to the right!

Shoes with a red sole. The sign that we are talking about real Louboutins, one of the
most expensive brands of shoes you can find! Thanks to Hélène, I will end up actually knowing
something about shoes! Vielen Dank, Frau De Vliegher!

But life is not all about shoes! It's also about iron dresses of course!
Like this one! Hélène is wondering how many iron dresses she has already
and if one more would fit into her closet.

Enough intermediate shopping! I want 10 cappuccini! And cookies!

One of the nicest things at 10 Corso Como is the fact that they organize a special welcome
committee for each customer (like me) who is entering their designbookshop for the first time.
How thoughtful!

Now is this a nice bookshop or what? They even have
an nice exhibition going on (look at the walls!).

After the intermediate shopping, it's time for the more serious work.
Visiting the shocking but very interesting World Press Photo 2012 exhibition.
When you see these pictures, you realize again in what kind of world it is we are actually living.

And that, unfortunately, it's not that common at all to have the chance
of spending your time writing Milano blogs and taking pictures of
10 Corso Como at night.

About me

I am a Belgian Master in Gastronomy and I organize cultural and culinary trips and tours in Piedmont. Whether you're looking for someone to give you a general tour in Turin or whether you would love to visit a coffee roastery or winery or just take an Italian cooking class, I can organize it for you. Just contact me and let me know what it is you're looking for and how I can help to make your trip to Piedmont unforgettable!